A Funeral For Friends
by EstelleDusk
Summary: [OneShot]Riku reflects on the day he met the person who killed his wife. He also remembers the day she died, as he stands in front of her gravestone.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Murtagh.

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#/ 19 years earlier \#

Everyone was standing around. No one said a single word when a young girl took a long, hard look at her brother with her emotionless honey-colored eyes. There were four people in the room, however two of them, who were apparently very close seeing as the boy were standing protectively next to the girl, were on one side of the room.

The girl's brother was on the opposite side of the room along with another young boy, both of who were dressed in large, baggy clothes that look as if they belonged on one of those rappers.

The young boy that the girl was with was wearing dark jeans and a black sleeveless shirt with a yellow and white vest over it. They both seemed to be about seventeen years old, possible eighteen for the boy. The brother appeared to be in his early thirties, whereas his partner only seemed to be no more than fifteen years of age.

The girl started towards her brother and stopped when she was only five steps away from him. She took in her brother's hazel eyes and his long black curly hair.

Her companion looked at her lovingly with his aquamarine eyes that she adores. Then he looked at her brother and wondered how they are siblings when they look nothing alike. He with his amber eyes and long black hair; she with her honey-colored eyes and dark brown hair with red, blue, gold, and silver highlights depending on her mood.

He then glared at the younger boy thinking he had no purpose to be here and therefore he did not trust him, especially since a large hat covered his face. The youngest just stood there with arms at the side and legs slightly spread apart, as if readying for a fight.

The brother quickly glanced at the silver-haired, aquamarine-eyed boy; then he looked back towards his sister with a questioning look. She answered his look by her own look of abandonment and then she said, "You aren't my brother."

The brother looked startled by this accusation and had a gaping mouth. He suddenly looked nervous and stuttered, "Heh heh, what do ya mean, Elizabeth? Of course, I'm your brother! Who else could I be?"

The girl, now known as Elizabeth still had that look of abandonment about her face when she closed her eyes and lightly shook her head. "No, you may look like him and you might act like him, but I know in my heart that you aren't my brother. So tell me, why are you doing this Daniel?"

Her companion quickly drew his sword, the Way to Dawn Keyblade. Daniel drew his own sword and grabbing Elizabeth's right hand held it up in the air and brought her back to his chest as he placed his weapon at her neck. As all this was happening, she didn't make a single sound and had a pained expression on her face.

The young boy silently walked until he was seven steps to the right of Daniel. Daniel looked approvingly at the boy and then said, "Go ahead. Make any movement to attack me and I'll slit her throat. Bet you wouldn't want your girlfriend's death on your conscience. Now would you, Riku?"

Riku very reluctantly lowered his blade. Of course, he wouldn't want his girlfriend's death on his conscience. He just hoped that Elizabeth had a plan. _If this is Daniel, then that means that the boy isn't a boy at all, but Leila the shapeshifter. _He glared at them and growled, "Why don't you show your true selves already. I know its you."

Daniel smirked as his appearance faded into his normal one, a suit of armor without the helmet. Leila too changed her appearance, but to that of a panther that calmly sat down and glared right back at Riku.

Silence passed between the four of them when suddenly a flash of light was seen. Elizabeth then opened her eyes and smirked. Then she said, "Good to see you again, Murtagh." Out of the flash of light appeared a mysterious boy that looked about 21. He had just-below-chin length black hair and dark eyes. He wore navy blue clothes and he had his blood-red sword, Zar'roc, drawn and poised, as he was already headed towards Daniel's back.

No one saw it when he knocked him out and started trying to knock out Leila who had shapeshifted again. As soon as Elizabeth was free, Riku rushed to her helping her up and asking if she was okay. She nodded yes and asked him to help her tie up Daniel with a magic rope. They quickly tied him up and tried to catch the slippery Leila for a good ten minutes.

During that time, Daniel was brought back to consciousness and watched with slight interest as they had finally managed to pin the now squirming Leila and tie her up with the magic rope as well. Murtagh wiped his brow and said, "You know you should have called me earlier, Princess." "I was just waiting for the opportune moment." She calmly replied.

#/ 17 years later \#

The walls and floor are so covered in blood that you can't tell what the original color of them was. All of the furniture in the room is drenched in the crimson liquid. Three people are in room, of which the two females are lying on the ground dying and profusely bleeding. The boy is crouched over the oldest woman who is about 34 years old. In the background, you could hear the banging of three pairs of fists on the locked door leading to this room. If you were to listen past all the banging and shouting from those outside the door, you would be able to hear a song called Sleep by My Chemical Romance. The stench of blood is heavy in the air.

_Some say_

_Now suffer all the children_

_And walk away a savior_

_Or a madman and polluted_

The other girl is about fifteen years old. Her eyes are clenched shut and her face has a pained expression. She is in a corner of the room and is softly crying as she dies. The girl's name is Leila and she is a shapeshifter working for Daniel, the man that is patiently waiting for she and Elizabeth, the other girl, to die.

_From gutter institutions_

_Don't you breathe for me_

_Undeserving of your sympathy_

_'Cause there ain't no way that I'm sorry for what I did_

Leila wonders when the pain will stop. _What type of pain is this? Is it betrayal? Is this how she felt when I betrayed her and abandoned her. Why did you do this Daniel? You promised me revenge on her and yet you kill me slowly and painfully. I never imagined death to be like this and yet I forgive you._

_And through it all_

_How could you cry for me?_

_'Cause I don't feel bad about it._

Daniel smirks and answers Elizabeth unspoken question. "I was just waiting for the opportune moment." She lightly smiles and says, "I remember when I said that exact phrase 17 years ago. She too is crying but not only for him.

_So shut your eyes _

_Kiss me goodbye_

_And sleep_

_Just sleep_

Daniel frowned a bit when he realized that even as the Twilight Princess is on the brink of death she still has enough strength to be a smartass. "Well at least you won't be able to stop me from ruling every world and plunging them into eternal Darkness."

_The hardest part_

_Is letting go of_

_Your dreams _

She still smiles and cries softly which greatly confuses him. "You'll never win, Daniel." She pauses, "Do you wonder why I cry and yet smile?" He dumbly nodded now wondering how she knew that. "It's because I've learned to forgive and forget. My past was so full of horrible deeds done to me, that I have forgotten almost everything before I turned fourteen, except for two memories when I met two very important people. The first person I could call a friend and the first person that could accept me for who I am.

_A drink_

_For the horror that I'm in_

_For the good guys and the bad guys_

_For the monsters that I've been_

She looked towards Leila for a split second and then continued, "Because of all this forgetting, I have forgiven every horrible deed that everyone has done to me." She chuckles lightly and half-heartedly, "I even gave up my spot in heaven for them to go to heaven. And now, even as I lay dying here, by your hand, I forgive you and thank you. For now, I can say that I've finally done what I was meant to do. Rejoin the worlds and restore the balance of Light and Darkness. I guess I'll be seeing you in Hell."

_Three cheers for tyranny_

_Unapologetic apathy_

_'Cause there is no way that I'm coming back again _

Daniel just stares at her, now thoroughly confused. _How could she forgive me, much less thank me, for killing her slowly and then watching her die with a smirk on my face._ Suddenly the door finally breaks down and the three people that were kept behind burst into the room heading straight for Elizabeth.

_And through it all_

_How could you cry_

_For me_

_'Cause I don't feel bad about it_

Daniel backed away fearfully when the door broke down but not because of Elizabeth's husband and children rushing over to her, but he was afraid of Elizabeth herself. And what were the last words that she said to him? _I guess I'll be seeing you in Hell. _A simple statement and he was terribly afraid of a dying girl.

_So shut your eyes_

_Kiss me goodbye_

A fourteen-year-old girl with silver hair and honey-colored eyes is worriedly kneeling down on the left of her mother. Her twin brother is kneeling on their mother's right. He inherited their mother's hair but their father's eyes. As for her father, well he was just to her right and in a state of complete agony.

_And sleep_

_Just sleep_

Everything went quiet as Elizabeth took a deep agonizing breath to speak. "You know…in order to protect…the worlds and our children…you have to kill him…and not for revenge." Riku made to interrupt his wife and protest but she stopped him, "No Riku…even if you wished it otherwise…our first priority is the balance and protection of the worlds. Love will always have to be our…second priority. Now go, and know that I'll always love you."

He silently obeyed her final request but not without planting a small kiss on her blood- and tear-stained lips adding his own tears. When he busy going after Daniel Elizabeth said, "Roxana, Cyrus, would you lie me next to Leila?" she then motioned with her head towards the almost dead shapeshifter. Her children followed her gaze and nodded.

As soon as the two once-enemies were side by side, Elizabeth slowly reached into her pocket to pull out something. Her daughter was quick to help her, but just as quickly stopped when her mother shook her head. When she got the trinket out of her pocket Leila started to speak. "You know, I too have learned," she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the woman to her left with a smile, "how to forgive and forget. I forgive you for what you did to me all those years ago." Then she looked up at the ceiling, "He came when I was blinded rage. Offered to give me powers to take my revenge on you. The only drawbacks, he becomes my slave driver and I stay my young age forever. Although, he said that I would become his apprentice and I would have eternal youth."

_The hardest parts_

_The awful things that_

_I've seen_

They look at each for a few seconds when Elizabeth says, "Why don't you show us who you truly are, Leila?" Leila slightly chuckles, "You really want to see your old friend? The one that you could first call friend? You do know that it would take the last of my strength to change back to her, right?" Now it was Elizabeth's turn to chuckle, "Of course I do. I just want to be able to return something and keep a promise that I made all of those years ago." She pulled the trinket that was in her pocket in front of Leila, who immediately brightened when she saw it. Turns out that the trinket was really a necklace that could change into a ball or two flowers on top of each other.

_Just sleep_

"I can't believe that after all these years you still have that silly necklace. Do you remember the exact words of your promise?" Leila questioned. They both smirked and started, " 'The day that I know I'll never again see you on this earth, I'll give you back this necklace, hoping that when I see you again, in death this time, you'll have this necklace around your neck, symbolizing our friendship that will never end, even in death.' "

_Just sleep_

"You know, its kind funny. Somehow, I always knew it was you, Marsha. Then there is the fact that I predicted this to happen. Remember, on 9/11 just before the crash? I predicted that we would fight, as completely different people that are enemies and yet still know who the other was, but that we would die side by side as friends despite everything that would happen." Elizabeth said

_Just sleep_

They stare at each other and feel like laughing at the fact that they have been fighting their best friend for almost eighteen years. They laugh a bit but immediately stop because it hurts their chests. Leila smiles sadly and says, "You know, you have wonderful kids. They would do anything for their mom." She pauses, "Will I see you on the other side, Liz?" She puts on the necklace and changes back to her true form. Her skin turned back to their natural dark brown color, and her hair to its natural very dark brown, whereas her eyes stayed amber-colored.

_Just sleep_

With the last of her strength, Marsha put her hand in her best friends and smiled. Then she slowly stopped breathing, but before she died, she heard Elizabeth whisper a single word, "Hopefully." Elizabeth looked at her fourteen-year-old kids and smiled. Then she said, "You know I love you all. Take care of your father for me. Make sure he doesn't try to kill himself. I'll see you again someday."

_Just sleep_

Even though he was fighting, Riku still heard every word that was said, and mused about the fact that she could still joke around when she's about to die. _I love you too, Elizabeth. And I'm looking forward to the day when I see you again._ He smiled as he got ready for his final attack. Just then, Elizabeth utters a single word with her last breath and then dies. She had whispered, "Goodbye."

_Just sleep_

Riku finished his battle quickly when he saw his daughter finally let her tears flow. He stopped when he saw who his wife died next too. Roxana thinking that her father stopped because he thought her mother was dead said that she was. Riku just smiled and shook his head. "Do you two know who this girl is next to your mother?" They shook their heads and Riku continued.

"This girl was your mom's first friend; the first person that protected her. You know how hard it is for her to smile, well, this was the first person that could make her smile a real smile. They were friends since they were four, and now, even friends in death. Even through everything they put the other through, they stayed friends 'till the end. It makes me smile at how long their friendship lasted."

Cyrus looked a little confused but didn't say anything, he hardly ever did. The two children were gifted with their mother's rare ability to understand almost anything. They looked towards their mother's and their mother's best friend's dead bodies. All three of them looked happy and sad at the same time. Then Roxana spoke up, "What should we do we them? We can't just leave them here." "We'll bury them. In the cemetery near the castle, where Keko is buried." Riku responded.

#/ Hell \#

A single girl is sitting on a large rock so that her right leg is dangling over the side while her left leg is up. Her arms are laid across her upright leg. Though this girl should be just another demon in Hell, she isn't. This girl is a special case. Her dress is a long gray flowing one, and two feathery angelic wings protrude from her back; one, white and the other, black. Her name in life was Elizabeth Hakumei, the wife of Riku Hakumei.

She already met with Daniel, whom might I say was scared shitless when he found out that he would never be able to escape from the people he has killed. Anyway, seeing as Elizabeth had given up her spot in heaven for her entire world, God and Satan were arguing about who should take her. Seeing as her deed was very selfless, God said that she should go to heaven. Whereas Satan argued that yes, her deed was selfless, but that it should be followed out completely. In addition, that if she goes to heaven, then her world should not be saved. She sighed inwardly, wondering when they would decide on where she belonged. Heaven, or Hell?

She had to admit that she was quite relieved when she found out they were debating on that subject. However, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she were to go to Heaven.

#/ 2 years later, present-day \#

The sky has been perfect ever since Elizabeth died, or so she would say. Every fourth of the month the sky would be covered in dark gray clouds that threaten to rain on you. The nights would be cloud-free with twinkling stars and a shining moon. A lone silver-haired and aquamarine-eyed man stands staring at the tombstone of the person he misses most. He knew she wouldn't want her headstone to be all fancy, so he settled for one of the humblest that he could find that would still show how much he cared for her and still does.

The wind started to blow in Riku's face as he thought about how ironic it was for all his friends to be stuck working today. Also, about how his kids were stuck in the hospital because of another fight protecting their Mom's name. He inwardly chuckled as he noticed what the breeze now smelled like, 'Lavender and lilac with a hint of rose, as she would always say.'

He looked down at the gravestone that that two friends shared. He sadly smiled, "I hope that day you mentioned will come soon. I miss you, Elizabeth." The wind seemed to whisper to him a response. "Don't worry, Riku. It'll come. Remember I love you, and tell the kids I said 'hi, now stop getting into fights because of me. You remind me of myself.' See you soon, Riku." Riku couldn't help but smile. His wife could still joke around in death. He read the inscription on the grave again, it was something she had once said, "Even in death, you can't separate true friends or true love. Death is just another obstacle you must overcome with your friends."

(The End)


End file.
